Cinematographic apparatus.



1. KLEIDMAN.

CINEMATOGRAPHIC APPARATUS.

APPLICATION HLED 050.21.1916.

1,259,246. Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

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By a,

/ali ATTORNW J. KLEIDMAN.

CINEMATOGRAPHIC APPARATUS.

APPLlCATlON FILED DEC-21.1915- 1,259,24=6. Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

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W1 TNESS A ATTORNE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Jos r-n f or NEW-roan, N. Y., nssrenoarr MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,'TO THE humour HcronrA -co, or NEW YonK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or-imwxoax. a

H Tc all concern Be it'known that I, Josnrn KLEIDMAN, a subject of the Czar of Russia, and a resident of the city of New York, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCinematographic Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to cinematographic apparatus; and more particularly to one that is designedfor homes, schools, and small auditoriums, where the present large commercial machineswould be too expensive, or there are no facilities for operating the larger machines.

These small machines usually lack a number "of elements of the large. commercial machines, to .Wit: The shutters, thewind-up reel actuating mechanisms, and focusing attachments. They are made Without these elements in order to produce inexpensive apviously greatly impair the efliciency of these paratus. The lack of these elements obdevices, in fact, to such an extent' that they become rather toysthan means for exh1b1t ing motion picturesi 'The main object of the present invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive cine- M matographic apparatus, provided with the elements above referred to.

Another object of the invention is to produce a cinematographic apparatus of the type described, which can be manufactured on a commercial scale, or, in other words, one which is not'so jdiflicult to produce as to be beyond the reasonable cost of such a device.

A further object of the'invention is to generally simplify the construction and operation of small cinematographic apparatus, 1

more particularly in a manner that they can I be operated 'by children without danger.

With these and other objects in view, which will'more fully appear as the nature offtheiny'ention is better understood, the same consists in the. combination, arrangement.and construction ofparts hereinafter described,

pointed out in the appended claims and "illustrated in the accompanying drawings,it being understood that many changes'may be made in the size and proportion of the several parts and details of construction within thescopeof the appended claims without departing from the spirit orsacrificing anyof thefadvantages of the CINEMATOGRAPHIG APPARATUS. V

Specification ofletters Patent.

' a vertical section taken through a detail of construction, on a larger scale.

In the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a base, upon which is mounted a lamp house 11. Within this lamp house is disposed a lamp socket 12, the terminals or binding posts of which are connected with electric conductors 13, forming a circuit with any suitable source of electric energy. A lamp 14 of any suitable construction is fitted into the socket 12. The'lamp house is, preferably, made of metal, and its rear walls 15 bent or curved to present an inner concaved surface, that may be polished or otherwise provided with a mirror-like face. r This face constitutes a reflector for the lamp.

In front of the lamp house is located upon the base a frame 16, provided with an exposure opening 17. Between this exposure opening and the lamp 14 is inserted a con densing lens 18 for the well known purpose. With the front face of the frame 16 006perates a guide 19, that is fixedly attached along one of its longitudinal edges to the said frame by screws 20, or otherwise. The guide is provided with a longitudinal groove 21, through which the film band 22 is adapted to be drawn. In order to facilitate the insertion of the film band, the longitudinal edge 22 of the guide, opposite the one along. the guide is attached to the frame 16, is freeand spaced fromthe said frame: In the guide is formed, in alinement with the exposure opening, an aperture 23, that has the configuration and size of the exposure opening. With the exposure opening cocperates a lens system. This system comprises two projecting lenses, denoted, by the numerals 24 and 25. The lens 24 is stationary, that is to say, it is fixed in the guide 19. The lens 25, on the other hand, is mounted in a lens tube 26. This tube is shiftably disposed within an opening 27 in the guide. The lens tube is shiftable to permit of a proper focus to be obtained. The shifting means com- Ale. 29 the latter being rotatably mounted Patented Mar. 12,1918. Application filed December 21, 1916. Serial No. 188,211. v c

in the guide 19. This pinion meshes with a rack 30, that is formed upon the lens tube.

The means for intermittently feedin the film past the exposure openin may of any suitable construction. In t e case illustrated, the feeding means comprises a sprocket 31', which is fixedly attached to a shaft 32, the latter being rotatably mounted in the frame 16. The means for imparting intermittent motion to this sprocketis of the Geneva-movement type, and includes the well-known star-wheel 34, that is fixedly secured to the shaft 32 of the feeding sprocket, and coiiperates with a pin 35, the latter being attached to a disk 36, which, in turn, is fastened to a counter-shaft 37. The counter-shaft is rotatably mounted in the frame 16, and has keyed or otherwise attached thereto a pinion 38, meshing with a gear 39. This last-named gear is fixed to themain or driving shaft 40 of the apparatus, which is properly j'ournaled in the frame 16. For actuating the driving shaft, there is mounted upon the same a disk 41, forming with a handle 42 a crank for the said shaft.

The supply reel 43 of the machine is loosely mounted upon a spindle 44, the latter being carried by a' support 45, which is either made integral with or is in any preferred way secured to the frame 16. The film travels from the supply reel between the frame 16 and the guide 19, and is brought into engagement with the feeding sprocket 31, with which is associated a spring-pressed guide roller 46 upon the frame 16. Thence the film is led by meanshereinafter to be described to a wind-up reel 47. This reel isloose ly mounted upon a spindle 48, that is journaled in a bearing 49, formed upon a frame 50. This frame is attached by screws 51, or otherwise, to the main frame 16 of the apparatus, and extends at an angle to the horizontal plane, as clearly appears from Fig. 1 of the drawings. The spindle 48 is actuated from the main shaft 40 of the machine by a friction comprises, preferably, a friction cone 52, that may be made of rubber or other suitable material, and which is drawn over the spindle 48. This cone engages'a cone 53, drawn over one end of a shaft 54. that is journaled in the frame 50 and carries upon its other end a friction cone 55, in engagement with a conically formed rtion 56 of the inner face of the crank dis 41. In order to keep the cones 52 and 53 in proper engagement, there are coiled springs 57 and 58 upon the spindle 48 andthe shaft 54, re-. spectively. The spring 57 bears against the bearing 49 and the cone 52, while the spring 58 abuts against the frame 50 and the cone 53. In or er to provide upon the cones 52 and 53 proper bearing surfaces "for the springs, there are mounted in rear. of the said cones upon the spindle 48 and the shaft This gearing 54 Washers 59 and 60, respectively. The rotation of the spindle 48 is transmitted to the wind-up reel by attaching fixedly to the said spindle a disk 61, having a lug 62, in the path of whichis fastened to one of the reel disks a projection 63.

On the frame 50 is furthermore mounted a roller 64, for properly guiding the film band from the feeding sprocket to the wind-up reel. Inasmuch as the frame 50 is disposed at an angle to the horizontal plane, the film band will be kept fiat against the guide 19 without the aid of springs.

\Vith the exposure opening coiiperates a shutter 65, disposed in war of the said opening. This shutter is made in the form of a plate-member, pivoted at 66 below the lower edge of the exposure opening to the frame 16, and provided with a weighted portion 67, against which is adapted to bear a cam 68, that is rigidly secured to the counter-shaft 37. The cam 68 and the pin 35 are timed in such a manner that, whenever the said pin causes the star-wheel to move and thus to feed the film, the cam raises the shutter and cuts off the light from the fihn band. ()n'the other hand, when the film band is stationary the shutter uncovers the exposure opening.

The operation of this device is as follows: The threading of the film is obvious from the fore oing. After the film issues from the close y approached front plate of the frame 16 and theguide 19, it passes between the sprocket 31 and the spring-pressed roller 46; it then asses partly over the roller 64 to the win -up reel 47. Inasmuch as the frame 50 is disposed in relation to the frame 16 in the manner above described, the film band will be pressed against the guide 19 and will thus be kept flat while passing between the frame 16 and the said guide.

The picture is focused by turning the pinion 28 in one or the other direction, as the case maybe. Y

A description of the operation of the film feeding mechanism seems to be unnecessary, as the same is well known and does not form part of the present invention. As the crank disk 41 is being rotated, the friction gearing above described causes a corresponding movement'of the spindle 48 and the lug 62 thereon. This lug, being in engagement with the projection 63 upon one of the disks of the wind-u reel, causes a continuous motion of sai reel, thereby winding up the film. It is to be noted that the spindlei48 is to be rotated-considerably slower than the shaft 'of the feeding sprocket, for the reason that the last-named shaft moves intermittently, while the said spindle rotates continuously. If, for some reason, the sprocket 31 does not feed the film band toward the roller 64, the film will not be torn, inasmuch as the driving connection between the crank disk 41 and the spindle 48 is frictional and will permit the cone 55 to stop, at any time during the operation of the device, as soon as a braking action is exerted by the film band upon the spindle 48- of the wind-up reel.

The pin 35 of the Geneva-movement and the cam 68 move in unison. They are timed in such a manner that, when the film is fed past the exposure opening, the cam raises the shutter to cause the latter to close the exposure opening. As the film is kept stationary, the weight 67 upon the shutter causes the latter to drop and uncover the exposure opening.

Attention is called to the fact that the shutter actuating mechanism, the wind-up reel operating device, and the focusing attachment may be employed independently, and used in connection with film feeding mechanisms which differ from the one here'- in described.

What I claim is:

1. In a cinematographic apparatus, the combination with a frame having an exposure opening, of a film guide cooperating therewith and fixedly attached along one of its longitudinal edges to said frame, said guide being spaced from said frame and provided with an aperture in registering position with said exposure opening, the edge of said guide opposite the one along which it is attached to said frame being out of contact with said frame to permit of an insertion of the film band between said frame and guide.

2. In a cinematographic apparatus, the combination with a main frame having an exposure opening, of a film guide cooperating with said frame, said guide being spaced from said frame and having an aperture in registering position with said exposure opening, a film feeding mechanism below said exposure opening, a second frame attached to said main frame below said exposure opening extending at an angle to the horizontal plane, and a wind-up reel upon said second-named frame.

3. In a cinematographic apparatus, the combination with a main frame having an exposure opening, of a fihn guide co6perating with said frame, said guide being spaced from said frame and having an aperture in registering position with said exposure opening, a film feeding mechanism below said exposure opening, a second frame attached to said main frame below said exposure opening extending at an angle to the horizontal plane and projecting in front of said main frame, and a wind-upreel upon said second-named frame.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 28th day of November, A. D. 1916.

JOSEPH IUJEIDMAN. 

